Cowie hearing scheduled for next week

By
Jason Beets Salina Journal

Posted Sep 11, 2018 at 3:48 PMUpdated Sep 12, 2018 at 11:25 AM

Vanessa Cowie, Salina's Animal Services Manager, is scheduled to have a private hearing with Interim City Manager Mike Schrage Sept. 19 where he will review a sanction recommended by her supervisor, Schrage said.

Schrage said he couldn't comment on why Cowie's supervisor, Salina Parks and Recreation Director Chris Cotten, recommended she be sanctioned. Schrage did, however, explain the process through which Cowie will appeal Cotten's recommendation.

"When certain levels of discipline are recommended by a department head, the employee is put on paid administrative leave and given the opportunity to request a hearing with the city manager before that discipline is implemented," Schrage said. "I have her request for that hearing and will be meeting with her in the near future."

Community support

Community members expressed their support for Cowie during a public forum at Monday's Salina City Commission meeting. Salina resident Bruce Moore said Cowie did a great job operating Salina Animal Services.

"This shelter isn't going to do as well under bean-counting bureaucrats as it's been under Vanessa," he said. "They don't have the drive, the vision or goals of making the shelter better."

Nicole Krob, of Salina, also spoke in favor of Cowie.

"I want you to reinstate Vanessa," she said. "The animal shelter is the one suffering. Their staff is suffering over there. The volunteers are suffering. They need leadership and there is no leadership in Chris Cotten, and he needs to go."

Cotten declined to comment on the statements made during the public forum.

More than 4,200 people have signed a petition on change.org calling on Schrage to reinstate Vanessa Cowie.

Decision maker

Schrage said he is responsible for the supervision of city employees, not the city commission, and that he takes that responsibility seriously.

"For personnel, they only supervise the city manager and I supervise everyone else," he said. "The responsibility for hearing the appeal and making the decision lies solely with me. It's on me to responsibly, objectively, fairly make a decision. I openly acknowledge that Vanessa Cowie has done terrific things for the animal shelter. I respect and appreciate what she's done, but this is just a difficult part of my job."